Review: 'Mission: Raniganj' - An intriguing and rousing rescue thriller

Mission Raniganj: The Great Bharat Rescue

Helmed by Tinu Suresh Desai, the film 'Mission Raniganj: The Great Bharat Rescue' is inspired by a real-life incident, when Jaswant Singh Gill, a brave and diligent mining engineer from IIT Dhanbad, rescues 65 miners trapped underground in a coal mine with water flooding from all directions. 

The unsung hero, Jaswant Singh Gill, played by Akshay Kumar, creates an ingenious contraption to rescue all the surviving miners trapped inside a flooded coal mine in Raniganj in November 1989 with limited time and resources, which is documented to be the world's largest and successful rescue mission against all odds.

The Grit & Scale

Mission Rangiganj is an awe-inspiring story of the triumph of will, resilience, teamwork, and one man’s determination and hope, which definitely is the soul of the film. The screenplay takes a while to pick up, but once it does, it only gets better, thus providing an intriguing second half. The scale is also huge, where authenticity is taken care of with the sets that are being built, right from the scenes in mines to the machinery used for the rescue mission. 

The film is loaded with drama and suspense, added with stellar performances from the entire ensemble, and is perfect for theatrical viewing. The dialogues invoke patriotism, a movie every Indian could be proud of. 

Even though the VFX in the film could have been better, it is taken care of owing to rapid scene shifts and editing, it doesn't become a major concern overall.

The Performances

When you rope in a superstar like Akshay Kumar to play a common man performing a tale of uncommon valor - there is an obvious pit to fall into, and that is extreme fan service. Fortunately, that isn't entirely the case, as even though Kumar is given a few moments of slo-mo entries and rousing BGM with a predictable moment of extreme odds in the climax, it still balances between reality and hyper-realism.

Akshay Kumar, as Jaswant Gill, puts forward an impressive performance, thus proving further that he can indeed pull off different shades and genres. 

Parineeti Chopra, as Nirdosh Kaur Gill, shines in her role in spite of her limited screen presence. 

The supporting cast, including Kumud Mishra, Pavan Malhotra, Ravi Kishan, Varun Badola and more, are spot-on with their acts. But a special shoutout to  Dibyendu Bhattacharya, who just knocked out a surprisingly shaded performance.

The Verdict

Pooja Entertainment and Akshay Kumar have created a film that will engage you and keep you hooked and also opens the possibilities to fetch them a National Award. An apt film for family viewing.

Rating - *** (3/5)